The moment I saw her moving her belongings into an intern's cubicle, I knew I had to have her. She was young, maybe 22, and bewildered with the scope and bustle of the 42nd floor. I saw her casting furtive looks at the cubes around her as she unpacked, not sure who to talk to or who to avoid. I could see the deep blue shine of those eyes all the way from my office in the opposing corner. The auburn curls of her hair fell over her shoulders, bouncing each time she dipped into her box for a picture or a pen.
"I see you approve of the intern." a familiar female voice shook me from my trance. It wasn't like me to stare at interns. Sharon was smirking at me when I looked down at her. She was the SVP of not to be fucked with, and I generally avoided doing so at most costs. "She's a little younger than your usual fare, but hey," Sharon winked, "what are interns for, right?"
Sharon walked back toward her own office, loudly slapping the ass of Theo, the other intern as she passed him at the copier.
I liked to think of myself as better than Sharon, but the thoughts that swelled up in me as I looked back at the beautiful young ginger were enough for me to abandon that pretense of superiority.
Still, I was more subtle than most of my colleagues. That's partially why they all answered to me. I was the god of this little universe, and right now all I could think about was the young woman finally situating herself at her new desk. I needed a closer look. And I might as well introduce myself. I walked over toward her casually, casually greeting various subordinates in the hall along the way.
She was very focused on some paperwork when I arrived at her desk. I cleared my throat and said, "Hey there."
She startled a bit at my words, and a look of pure horror washed over her face when she looked up and saw me. I'm not that scary, am I?
She stood up frantically and I continued, "I'm-"
"Benedict Reynolds." She cut me off softly. "I know who you are sir." She said quickly, now standing beside her desk, hands folded awkwardly in front of her and eyes darting around, not sure where to look.
The rest of her did not disappoint. She was short, maybe 5' 3", and all of her features were distinctive. Medium breasts, slim waist, deliciously wide hips, and beautiful legs.
"Of course." I said with a wry smile. "If I had any friends, they'd call me Ben." I extended my hand to shake hers, smiling patiently.
She stared at it for a few seconds before shaking my hand. "I'm Ophelia Yates." She looked at me nervously. Her hand was maybe half the size of mine. "The new intern."
"Welcome, Ophelia." I smiled. She nodded a wordless thanks. "So what are you hoping to learn here at Goldman, Kirkendall and Reynolds?"
"I just graduated..." she started, flicking her eyes up at me intermittently. "...with my MBA, focusing on foreign trade. China mostly. I wanted a job at a consultancy that works a lot with China and well... there's not too many bigger names." She appeared to find her confidence midway through her explanation.
"You don't look like most of the MBA graduates that come through here." I observed. Probably too much too fast, but I wanted to see her reaction.
"I don't work like most of them either." She shot back, eyebrows raised, ready to spar.
"I guess we will find out." I parried, half a smirk on my lips.
She looked back at me, half defensive, half embarrassed, and entirely unsure what to say.
"Don't sweat it, Ophelia, I'm sure you'll do great." I reassured her before launching into the riskier ask. "Listen, I like to make a friendly wager with all the new interns. See that guy over there?" I nodded to her left to a balding middle-aged man. She looked and then nodded at me. "That's Jim. If you can find a way to get Jim to tell you the secret of his Shanghai deal, you win. If not, I win."
She studied my face for a moment, apparently expecting a trick. I looked back impassively for her and waited for the inevitable question.
"What do I get if I win?" She asked.
"A promotion. Junior partner, on the spot." I say. Her eyes widen.
"And if I lose?" She asked, more nervously.
"You have to have a drink with me." I said, straight faced and emotionless.
She narrowed her eyes, weighing the cost and benefit. I could see her ambition winning and simply waited for the last question.
"How long do I have?" She asked with a heavy exhale.
I looked at my watch. It was 9:15 already. "Till 4:30." I said, tapping the watch face with my forefinger.
She sighed again and said. "I'm sure I'll regret this, but you're on."
I nodded with a smile and said, "Best of luck, Ophelia. I'll see you later."
I walked back toward my office with a smile on my face. She didn't know it yet, but she was treading into my web. Soon, she would be too far inside to find her way out..
--
I paused outside my office door and looked seriously at my assistant, Harvey. "Send Jim in to see me immediately." I told him.
"Yes sir." Harvey said as I walked into my office and closed the door.
I sat down behind my desk, rested my head back on the cushion of my chair, and tried to picture Ophelia's face as I closed my eyes. I daydreamed pleasantly of my new infatuation until a knock rang at my door. Harvey opened it a second later and announced, "Jim to see you, Sir."
"Jim, thanks for coming." I shook his hand and gestured toward the small couch in the corner.
"No problem, boss, what can I do for you." Jim asked. I liked this guy.
"Have you met the new intern?" I asked.
"What, Theo?" He said. "Sharon has way too much fun with that kid."
"No, not Theo. A brand new one. She started today. Ophelia." I explained.
"Ophelia!" Jim said. "Is that that redhead..." he trailed off, puzzle pieces snapping to place in his head.
"The very same." I answered. "I gave her the Shanghai wager, Jim."
He started to smile. I continued, "Make her think she's close with whatever terribly clever angle she can come up with. But don't fucking tell her." I said.
"I got you boss." Jim said, shaking his head.
"Thank you, Jim. That will be all." I said, dismissing him with a nod.
--
4:30 rolled over on my clock and I walked over to open my office door. Ophelia was there already, arguing with Harvey passionately.
"Ophelia, please, come in." I gestured, shooting Harvry a look to stop harassing her.
She raised her chin in victory and entered my office.
"Please, have a seat." I offered. She sat down on my couch. She sat and looked at me, a little frustrated and nervous.
"Well, any luck?" I asked.
"No." She answered sheepishly. "I couldn't find a way to get Jim to spill the beans, so to speak."
"Ah." I feigned a modicum of compassionate disappointment. "Well, I trust you're free tonight?"
She nodded, her beautiful eyes filled with apprehension.
"Great. 8:00. I'll have a driver pick you up." I said casually.
She nodded again slightly. "No need to stay for more than one drink, if you'd like to go home." I reassured her. I thought about telling her to wear something nice, but thought better of it. I was curious what she would choose to wear, in any case.
"Ok, Mr. Reynolds." She responded, standing up.
"Ben." I corrected gently.
She narrowed her eyes at me slightly, nodded once more, and walked out the door.
--
It was a well-furnished, if modestly-sized apartment. Nothing too flashy, but entirely respectable. It had been a while since I used this place, and it had never been put to quite this purpose. Generally, there was a monetary exchange between myself and the female visitors to this residence, and the activities necessitated the laundering of the sheets.
I didn't expect that sort of thing tonight, but I was hopeful I could make some headway with sweet young Ophelia. Show her what a relationship with me could mean. Appeal to that hidden, possibly dormant part of her that needed to surrender.
I felt my phone vibrate and checked it anxiously. It was the driver. They were downstairs.
I got up and began to mix a pair of drinks. By the time I was finished, there was a knock on the door.
I opened it and there she was, doing her best to smile under layers of nerves. She was in a simple black dress with a flowing mid-length skirt. Her neckline revealed a hint of cleavage beneath a heavily freckled chest.
"Come in!" I said, gesturing toward the couch. She reluctantly walked passed me through the door and I closed it with a sense of relief. She's actually here.
"You're welcome to take off your shoes." I said, walking past her. "Please make yourself comfortable."
I walked over to the kitchen island where our drinks waited. When I turned around, she was taking her shoes off. I grabbed the drinks and brought them back to the living area, setting them down on my coffee table and taking a seat on the far side of the couch.
She finished taking off her shoes and came over to me, gingerly taking a seat on the couch, as far away from me as she could get. Her face was wrought with anxiety.
"Thank you for coming by, Ophelia." I started, smiling at her. "It's great to see you. You look so lovely tonight." I pushed her martini toward her and picked up my own, holding the drink up and nodding in an imaginary sort of cheers before taking a modest sip of the drink. I let it burn down my throat and took a deep breath, relaxing myself so that I could put her at ease.
When I opened my eyes again, she had the martini glass in hand and was taking a very small sip in sample. She nodded her head with mild enthusiasm and took a slightly larger sip.
"So," I started. I need to get her talking about herself for a few minutes. "Where are you from originally?"
She set the drink down and looked at me, a little more comfortable now. "An incredibly boring town in southern Ohio." She said, a hint of a smile curling the corners of her mouth. "I could not get out of there fast enough."
"Not one for the small town life, huh?" I asked.
"Not at all." She said. "I'm too much of an introvert for the small town thing. I hate that everyone knows everything about you. I like the anonymity of the big city, having control over who gets to know me." She looked up at me, appearing momentarily to forget she was talking to me.
